How to Plan to Farm in a Drought

Nobody expected the drought of 2012; and, like most unexpected weather events, there is little you can do to plan for them. There are, however, some steps that can be taken to help you deal with natural disasters.  Dan Kurdys, with Asgrow soybeans, says the drought of 2012 pointed out a few things that farmers can do to deal better with future droughts. First is choosing the right seed. He said that, despite extreme stress, some soybean seeds did better this year than others, “Asgrow varieties averaged 4 bpa better than their competitors in a variety of stressful conditions.”  He attributes this to the depth of the genetics of the seed and stresses that growers should choose seeds with strong genetics to better handle extreme weather stresses.

Kurdys says another key to surviving unexpected natural disaster like a drought is to have a production strategy, “We off the 4P system of Plan, Plant, Protect, and Perform.” This is a system that organizes the resources, tools, research, and information available from Asgrow and Monsanto have to give growers an edge in soybean production. He explained, “This is activated at the local level by sitting down with a dealer and reviewing your operation on a field by field fit and thinking through you treatment strategy, your weed management strategy, and even reviewing your equipment calibration.”

As for recommendations for 2013, he says start planning now, “Look back at your scouting notes, and put together a weed management strategy and plan for the right residual control.” He added using a seed treatment will help you get off to a good start for 2013 and be ready whatever the weather.